Device for dismantling storage batteries



nnvrcn non DESMANTLING STORAGE BATTERIES Isadore I. Pitts and Hyman Pitts, Sioux Falls, S. Dali.

Application October 14, 1955, Serial No. 540,415

4 Claims. ((31. 29-204) Our invention relates to a devicefor dismantling storage batteries.

An object of our invention is to provide a device which is compact in structure and which requires only a minimum area.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device which will function quickly and which will efficiently remove the lead plates from storage batteries for re;- claiming the same.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device which is easily operated.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of our device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the device with portions thereof being taken in cross section,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 2 takenalong the lines 33 thereof,

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modification, and

Figure 5 is a schematic view of the air circuit.

Our invention contemplates the provision of a relatively simple device which will readily reclairnthe lead plates from storage batteries by the expedient of swing ing thestorage battery in a complete arc of approximately 180 degrees, and whence at the end of the stroke, the edges of the storage battery will abut against a certain stationary framework and so that the lead plates due to the relatively greater weight thereof will be impelled downwardly.

We have used the character to designate vertical posts providing a portion of the framework of the device, the characters 11, 12 and 13 indicating further vertical posts which can be of any shape or form, the characters 14 and 15 designating further frame portions, the character 16 designating a cross brace.

Extending from the members 11 are the portions 17, and journalled within these portions 17 at 18 is a transverse shaft 19 to which is solidly locked at 20 a lever arm 21 which is pivotally connected at 22 to a piston rod 23 which is secured to a piston 24 (see Figure 5) which is adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder 25, the cylinder 25 being pivotally secured at 26 to a post 27.

The shaft 19 is also rigidly secured at 28 to the parallel bars 29 and attached to one of the bars 29 at 30 is a cable 31 which is secured at 32 to the piston rod 23. Attached to the bars 29 is a platform 33 to which is secured a hollow cylinder 34 in which reciprocates a suitable piston attached to a further piston rod 35 which is attached to the block 36, and securely attached at 37 to the platform 33 is a further stop or block 38. Communicating with the cylinder 34 is a somewhat lengthened flexible hose 39 which is controlled by a valve 40 and which communicates to a suitable air pressure source.

2,828,534 Patented Apr. '1', 195.8

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Communicating to the cylinder 25 at'41 is a flexible air hose 42 which communicates at 43 to a valve housing 44, and communicating at 45 with the cylinder 25 is a further hose 46 which communicates at 47 with the valve housing 44, the characters 48 and 49 indicating exhaust ports. Communicating with the housing 44 is a further air inlet hose 50 which communicates at 51 with the housing 44, the character 52 indicating a valve member; which is controlled by means of the oscillating arm 53, (see Figure 1). The above described valve which is;

adapted to provide means whereby the piston 24 can be forced in either direction can be changed to any other type of valve if desired.

Attached to the posts 10 is a platform 54 which supports the vertical cylinder 55 which includes a suitable piston therein attached to'the push rod 56, and attached beneath the platform 33 is the portion '57 whichis adapted to bear against the top of the push rod 56 upon the termination of the reverse swinging action of the arrangement, the air in thecylinder 55 thereby providing a cushioning action.

Attached to the vertical supports 12 and 13 is a substantially channel-shaped member 58 having the bottom wall 59 inwhich-bottom wall 59 we provide the rectangular opening 60, leaving the side portions 61', and attached to the sides offthe'channel 58 are the plates 6 2'Wh Q1l 99,1 verge slightly downwardly. e

The device operates in the following manner; The character 63 indicates a storage battery from which the cells or lead plates are to be salvaged, this storage battery being placed on the platform '33 between the members 36 and 38, and in an upright position with the top of the battery being up as shown, and next, the valve 40 is.

opened which causes the piston-rod 35 i to travel towar di the right and to therefore tightly hold the batteryagainst' the stop 38. Next, the valve handle 53 is swung over to the position shown in Figure 5-, itbeing noted that the air pressure will then travel into the cylinder 25'and' will thrust the piston rod 23 upwardly and'due to the fact that the arm 21 is solidly connected to the shaft 19 and the bars 29, the entire assembly of these bars, etc. will thereby swing the battery 63 in the direction ofthe arrow 64, the piston rod 23 passing upwardly to a position slightly past center of the shaft 19, whereby the entire carriage carrying the battery will then drop by gravitation, the gravitational effect being considerably increased by the rapid thrustof the piston rod 23. Thedgtted lines in Figure l'show approximately the position of'thebattery at the end of the stroke. V

The opening is made slightly smaller than the opter confines of the battery, these outer con-fines being indi? cated generally by the character 65 (seeFignre 2), these portions thereby abutting against the portions about'the opening 60, and therefore the relatively heavy lead plates in the cells of the battery due to this retardation and due to their own momentum will be impelled downwardly in the direction of the arrow 66 (see Figure l) and will fall upon the floor, these portions thereby being quickly removed from the balance of the battery itself. By reversing the valve handle 53, the valve member 52 will swing over to the other position allowing the air to pass through the pipe or hose 42 and thereby forcing the piston 24 in the reverse direction, the cable 31 thereby pulling the arrangement back to its starting position again, it being noted that the ports 48 and 49 permit exhaustion of the air at each stroke. The diverging plates 62 assist in guiding the battery toward the opening 60.

Figure 4 illustrates a modification of the opening 60 wherein this opening is indicated by the character 67, the opening 67 having the extending portions 68, the portions 68 thereby also permitting reclaiming of the cells in that type of battery which is of substantial length compared to its width, and whereby the vise grip blocks 36 and 38 can be modified in any desired manner to accommodate the longer batteries. It should also be understood that slight changes could be made in the air circuits and the like without departing from the essential spirit of our invention.

it will now be seen that we have provided the advantages mentioned in the objects of' our invention with various other advantages being readily apparent.

Some changes may be, made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of our invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

We claim as our invention: j

I. A device for dismantling storage batteries comprising a framework, said framework having a substantially rectangular opening, said framework further including a carriage journalled at one endthereto, means for attaching a storage battery in upright position to said carriage, further means for forcing said carriage to pivot on said framework at approximately 180 degrees and whereby the perimetral edges of said storage battery will abut against the edges of said opening so that the interior lead cell portions of said battery will be impelled by momentum through said opening, said carriage pivoting means including a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod attached to said piston, a shaft to which said carriage is attached, a lever attached to said shaft, said piston rod being pivotally secured to said lever.

2. A device for dismantling storage batteries comprising a framework, said framework having a substantially rectangular opening, said framework further including a carriage journalledat one end thereto, means for attaching a storage battery in upright position to said carriage, further means for forcing said carriage to pivot on said framework at approximately 180 degrees and whereby the perimetral edges of said storage battery will abut against the edges of said opening so that the interior lead cell portions of said battery will be impelled by momentum through said opening, said carriage pivoting means including a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod atached to said piston, a shaft to which said carriage is attached, a lever atached to said shaft, said piston rod being pivotally secured to said lever, said battery attaching means comprising a rear stop attached to said carriage, a movable vise member, a further piston rod attached to said movable vise member, a compressed air further cylinder for operating said further piston rod whereby said battery will be clamped between said stop and said vise member.

3. A device for dismantling storage batteries comprising a framework, said framework having a substantially rectangular opening, said framework further including a carriage journalled at one end thereto, means for attaehing a storage battery in upright position to said carriage, further means for forcing said carriage to pivot on said framework at approximately degrees and whereby the perimetral edges of said storage battery will abut against the edges of said opening so that the interior lead cell portions of said battery will be impelled by momentum through said opening, said carriage pivoting means including a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod attached to said piston, a shaft to which said carriage is attached, a lever attached to said shaft, said piston rod being pivotally secured to said lever, said battery attaching means comprising arear stop attached to said carriage, a movable vise member, a further piston rod attached to said movable vise member, a compressed air further cylinder for operating said further piston rod whereby said battery will be clamped between said stop and said vise member, said cylinder including air inlet openings at either end thereof whereby said piston can be reciprocated in either direction for also returning said carriage to normal postiion, including flexible means attached between said piston rod and said carriage.

4. A device for dismantling storage batteries comprising a framework, said framework having a substantially rectangular opening, said framework further including a carriage journalled at one end thereto, means for attaching a storage battery in upright position to said carriage, further means for forcing said carriage to pivot on said framework at approximately 180 degrees and whereby the perimetral edges of said storage battery will abut against the edges of said opening so that the interior lead cell portions of said battery will be impelled by momentum through said opening, said carriage pivoting means including a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod attached to said piston, a shaft to which said carriage is atta'ched,'a lever attached to said shaft, said piston rod being pivotally secured to said lever, said battery attaching means comprising a rear stop attached to said carriage, a movable vise member, a further piston rod atached to said movable vise member, a compressed air further cylinder for operating said further piston rod whereby said battery will be clamped between said stop and said vise member, said cylinder including air inlet openings at either end thereof whereby said piston can be reciprocated in either direction for also returning said carriage to normal position, including flexible means attached between said piston rod and said carriage, a shock absorbing member attached to said framework to absorb the shock imparted by said carriage when rotated to normal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,119,857 Eppensteiner June 7, 1938 2,ll9,858 Eppensteiner June 7, 1938 2,736,952 Sibley Mar. 6, 1956 

